Frey (The Frey Saga, #1)(51)

I considered that, considered my watcher. He was a volunteer. I seethed for a moment then flashes of my mother and council cloaks flooded my thoughts and I had to block them.

“So the North… has no council at all?”

He seemed uncomfortable for a moment. “No. No council.” He paused while he formed the rest of his answer. Steed was watching him, intent. “We are… unruled.”

“Unruly,” Steed added with a laugh.

“You’ve never had a council?”

They shook their heads.

“No rulers?”

I noticed a sidelong glance between them. Grey answered. “Not anymore.” I could tell he intended to end the conversation with that but it only made me more curious.

I was tired of always having to make everyone spell things out for me. “No council, ever. No rulers… anymore?” They didn’t respond. “So, what then?” They were beginning to show annoyance at my questioning.

“Frey.” Chevelle was calling me from the front of the line. I looked at him, the irritated expression still there. “Time to resume your training.” Grrr…





They had me work with Anvil, trying to anticipate when he was preparing to send a small current of electricity toward me. Which, loosely translated, meant I spent the day getting shocked. I was grateful when we finally stopped to make camp.

I was afraid they would resume training after dinner, so I found a place off by myself and pretended to rest as I went back to reading the diary.





Today was exhilarating. For the first time in I don’t know how long, I was out of the castle. Free from practice, free from duties, free from walls. Though tricky to set up, the spell worked on Rune. I showed up at practice early and whispered the words in case something went wrong and he heard. I can’t imagine what my punishment would be, though it might have been worth it. He fell asleep quickly and I ran as fast as I could, my pulse pounding with excitement. I spent the entire day away from the castle. Without the drain of practice, I was thrilling with energy. I could feel the trees, the mountain. I hope father never comes back! I am sure I will try again tomorrow and every day I can spare after that.





Rune was completely unaware of any foul play yesterday so I had full confidence in the spell this morning. Not that I wouldn’t have attempted it again anyway, but at least I know I’m safer now. No worries when I’m out of the castle. My sister is out every day but I can never seem to find her. She keeps bringing back the strangest treasures. I have run for two days now, I think tomorrow I will follow her. She refuses to tell me where she goes, neither under threat nor bribe, so I’ll have to use stealth.





Today was brilliant. I left a sleeping Rune just in time to find my sister sneaking from the castle. I followed her without being seen all the way to her secret spot. It took us half the day to get there but it was completely worth it. So far away from any kind of traffic, I have no idea how she even discovered it.

Nestled in a patch of trees outside the forest was some sort of camp. I watched her at first, she scoured the area searching through the things she found there. But I couldn’t stand merely observing for long. I exposed myself and inquired about previous finds and hit her with all the questions that were plaguing me. She was furious! She screamed and cursed and fumed. She was no help with my queries so I was forced to look around myself.

Whatever had been there lived a little like the imps. And there were imp tracks there, but it appeared only one. There were massive amounts of bowls and jars. I have no idea who would need so many containers. The fairies like containers but not of this crude sort, the craftsmanship was almost that of a troll. I tried to stay on the opposite side of the camp from my sister’s wrath but I found tracks and had to follow them near her, stirring up another fit of rage. The prints were shoed, about the size of elves, but the treads were irregular. Whatever stayed here, there were a lot of them.

Near the center of the camp the ground was beat down with tracks, circling a ring of stones. There were remnants inside and ashes, a crude fire pit. Around that, several feet out, were various logs, I assumed for sitting around the pit. There were a few huts built about the camp but their construction was unlike anything I’d seen before, very poorly built. I ducked inside one and was shocked to see it was full of the previous owner’s possessions. Clothing, bedding, so much stuff left behind. I had thought they’d left suddenly but I was confident then that it was not of their choosing.

I went back outside and examined the tracks again. I followed the imp’s this time and found my answer. Outside of the camp, I uncovered blood and drag marks. The imp had killed what appeared to be three of the camp’s inhabitants and dragged them off with it, likely by stringer and tow. Whatever was there had run away because of the attack, and recently.

I questioned my sister again (she’d had some time to cool down) but she was no help. I immediately knew she had not even considered that whatever she had been so interested in was still out here, probably close. I didn’t clue her in. After a little more time there, I acted as if I’d lost interest and headed home. Tomorrow, I will follow the tracks. I will find whoever was there and solve the mystery of their rudimentary tools and strange huts.





I yawned. After a quick glance around, I slid the book back into my pack. I rolled over and fell asleep listening to Ruby hum a soft tune.